Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer met again at the same part of the schedule

Three days before the start of the French Open at Roland Garros, the draw took place, Thursday, May 27, at the referee’s office, behind closed doors, as required by the Covid-19 pandemic. And he saved a nice surprise, by placing Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer at the same table.

The No.3 seed, the Spaniard and his 13th titles he won at Porte-d’Auteuil now knows the trajectory he has been waiting for for the next two weeks. Getting into the race isn’t much of an obstacle with Alexei Popyrin. If he succeeds, he will challenge a French player in the second round: the winner of the 100% French duel between Richard Gasquet and Hugo Gaston. In the Round of 16, he could then meet with Yannick Sener, the new Italian tennis prodigy (who was opposed in the first round by Pierre Hug Herbert), or Gael Monfils (seed No. 14).

But the result promises to be even more sensitive, as the Spaniard inherits the quarter table from the Russian Andrei Rublev. And in the semifinals, Novak Djokovic could meet the Spaniard.

Roger Federer (No. 8), who returned to Paris after being absent last year due to knee surgery, was also one of the main attractions of this draw. With only three matches played in 2021 (to one win) since the semi-finals of the 2020 Australian Open, the Swiss national team lacks competition and will have to withdraw all stops.

In the first round, he would face a playoff, then perhaps Marine Cilic, should the latter take over the new trichromatic revelation, Arthur Rinderknik. But the Swiss also appears in this half of the table, with the possibility, if he finds the right fuel, to face Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals.

At the bottom of the table it is necessarily a bit empty. But this does not mean the desert. No. 6 seed Alexander Zverev has two first rounds against the playoffs, but he could find Britain’s third round Daniel Evans, who created the sense of gravel at the start of the season by going to the semi-finals at Monty. Carlo, after he was offered to Novak Djokovic in the third round.

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In the role of 16, he could be another dangerous man: Robert Bautista Agut (No. 11). In the quarter-finals, he reached the double final in Paris, Dominique Thiem (No. 4), if he managed to regain his form while his final results did not call for him.

On the other hand, for Stephanos Tsitsipas, who reached the semi-finals here last year, the picture is somewhat open. The Greek, ranked No. 5, opposes, of course, Jeremy Shardy in the first round, but the sequel is offered to him “only” Isner (No. 31) in the third round, or Carino Busta (No. 12) at prices. It’s hard to imagine Daniel Medvedev (No. 2) finding him in the quarter-finals because the Russian feels bad on that surface.

The winner of Monte Carlo, the Madrid finalist, who reached the quarter-finals in Rome, Tsitsipas is theoretically on a highway, with the favorites for the final victory. In the semi-finals, then the logic would be to find a Theme against Tsetsipas. But if the Austrian does not raise his game to the height of his talent, there will definitely be a new Final in the 2021 edition.

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